Global semiconductor equipment sales of $41.24 billion, up 13% year-over-year
Total equipment orders increased 24% compared to 2015

Last year's global semiconductor manufacturing equipment sales reached $4.124 billion, marking a 13% increase compared to the previous year

SEMI, the international semiconductor equipment and materials association, disclosed this in its World Wide Semiconductor Equipment Market Statistics (WWSEMS) report and announced that total equipment orders in 2016 increased 24% compared to 2015.

The World Wide Semiconductor Equipment Market Statistics report, compiled based on materials submitted by SEMI and Japanese Semiconductor Equipment Association (SEAJ) member companies, summarizes monthly shipments and orders in the global semiconductor equipment industry.

According to this report, which aggregates data across 7 major semiconductor production regions and 24 product categories, compared to sales of $36.53 billion in 2015, 2016 recorded $41.24 billion. The fields included in the report are wafer processing, assembly/packaging, test, and other front-end equipment (mask/reticle, wafer manufacturing, fab equipment).


In terms of sales growth rates, other regions (primarily Southeast Asia), China, Taiwan, Europe, and Korea showed higher increases, while the equipment markets in North America and Japan saw declining sales. Taiwan's equipment market maintained the top position in semiconductor equipment sales for the fifth consecutive year with sales of $12.2 billion. Korea also maintained the second place in semiconductor equipment sales for the second consecutive year. China achieved 32% growth, surpassing Japan and North America to jump to third place. Japan and North America's 2016 equipment sales dropped to fourth and fifth place, respectively.

By equipment category, the global other front-end equipment segment declined 5%, while the wafer processing equipment segment increased 14%, test equipment increased 11%, and the assembly/packaging segment increased 20%.